1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to an error management system and method, and more particularly, to an error management system and method which can collect and manage an error that occurs in a client application, in an online service system including a server application and a client application.
2. Description of the Related Art
As Internet use has become widespread, an online service system, which provides an online service by a client application interoperating with a server via a network, becomes popular. In this case, the client application is installed in each user terminal and the server application is installed in a service server. Examples of the online service may include online games, such as ‘Lineage’, ‘Kartrider’, and ‘You're the king of golf’.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an online service system according to a conventional art.
Referring to FIG. 1, the online service system according to the conventional art includes client terminals 110-1, 110-2, . . . , 110-N, and online service servers 120-1, 120-2, . . . , 120-N.
Each of the client terminals 110-1, 110-2, . . . , 110-N is connected to each of the online service servers 120-1, 120-2, . . . , 120-N, via a network, such as the Internet and the like. In this case, a client application is installed in each of the client terminals 110-1, 110-2, . . . , 110-N, to perform an online service that is provided by a portion or all of the online service servers 120-1, 120-2, . . . , 120-N.
As an example, the online service server 120-1 may be a ‘Lineage’ game server and the online service server 120-2 may be a ‘You're the king of golf’ game server. In this case, a ‘You're the king of golf’ game client application for performing a ‘You're the king of golf’ game service may be installed in each of the client terminals 110-1, 110-2, . . . , 110-N.
Generally, hardware or operating systems (OS) of the client terminals 110-1, 110-2, . . . , 110-N are very diversified. Also, due to features of the online service system where the client application interoperates with the server application, the online service system shown in FIG. 1 requires a relatively complicated debugging process in comparison to debugging a general stand-alone program. Namely, when a smoothly executing client application is directly downloaded to each of the client terminals 110-1, 110-2, . . . , 110-N, and subsequently executed, an error, undetected during an application development process, may occur. Also, even when the error occurred in the client terminals 110-1, 110-2, . . . , 110-N, a program developer may not be aware of the error unless users of the client terminals 110-1, 110-2, . . . , 110-N, upload details of the error to a bulletin board of a program operator or report the error to the program operator via an e-mail. Also, when the program developer becomes aware of an occurrence of the error, the program developer may not accurately reproduce the error since the error might have been caused by a particular client terminal environment.
As an example, when the online service server 120-2 is a ‘You're the king of golf’ game server, the game program developer sets up a virtual client and operates the virtual client in interoperation with the online service server 120-2, and thereby, performs a ‘You're the king of golf’ game test. After performing the test in the virtual client, based on various client environments, and debugging all errors, the game program developer enables each of the client terminals 110-1, 110-2, . . . , 110-N, to download the game application to interoperate with a server application of the online service server 120-2. However, in many cases, an additional error that has not occurred in the test usually occurs in the client terminals 110-1, 110-2, . . . , 110-N. Accordingly, complaints from users of the client terminals 110-1, 110-2, . . . , 110-N are increased. Also, the online service server 120-2 may not know whether an error has occurred and what caused the error. Also, even when becoming aware of an occurrence of the error, the online service server 120-2 may not know the state of the client terminal 110-2 when the error occurred. Accordingly, the online service server 120-2 may not debug the error.
Accordingly, an error management system and method which can more effectively collect and manage an error of a client application that occurs in a client terminal is required.